MIUI 12.5 is the latest version of MIUI for Xiaomi devices today. It is now in the final stages of deployment. The update is an intermediate step in the transition from MIUI 12 to the new MIUI 13 and the first time in Xiaomi practice that a version of the system with the index XX.5 is presented.
The new version of MIUI is more efficient as it is optimized to use 20% less memory than previous versions of the shell. During operation, it consumes 17% less energy, which should increase the battery life of smartphones.
It includes new features and improved optimization. We'll tell you what's new in MIUI 12.5, when it will be released and which smartphones will receive the update. This overview of the main features with screenshots is regularly updated and contains the latest news about the new OS from Xiaomi.
MIUI 12.5 release date and rollout schedule
On December 28, 2022, Xiaomi launched a closed beta testing program for MIUI 12.5. It was initially possible to install the new shell on 21 smartphones. From February 3 to March 1, 2022, enrollment for the public beta test was open. The developers published information about this in the Mi community.
Xiaomi officially launched the MIUI 12.5 global update at an online event on February 8, 2022. The stable version of the new shell began to be released on Mi 11, Mi 10T, Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro at the end of April 2022. The remaining supported devices will receive the new system a little later with the second wave of updates.
At the presentation, Xiaomi presented two waves of MIUI 12.5 deployment:
- The first wave is the second quarter of 2022.
- The second wave is the end of the second quarter of 2022.
| First wave | Second wave |
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Screenshots from the Xiaomi presentation:
First wave
Second wave
After the release of MIUI 12.5, we are expecting the release of MIUI 13. One of the first devices to use the updated system may be the new Mi 11 smartphone.
To find out what is the latest stable version of MIUI for your Xiaomi phone, go to the update catalog and find the model of your smartphone. The latest official firmware for it will be shown.
The OS rollout is now being completed and Xiaomi is releasing new builds of MIUI 12.5 several times a month. In fact, almost all phones that were initially on the update list have already received the release of a new version of the official firmware from Xiaomi (see tracker).
Reduced resource consumption
Another important feature of MIUI 12.5 is that it is lighter, faster and more economical. The system interface has been largely rewritten, and memory usage of main scenes has been reduced by 20%. In addition, a special project was carried out to optimize almost all system applications: as a result, memory use in the background decreased by an average of 35%, and the power consumption of system applications decreased by an average of 25%.
In addition, the number of applications that cannot be removed from the device has become very minimal. You can now uninstall all the apps you don't like, except for a few system apps like Camera, Settings, Gallery, Phone, and Messages.
Which phones will receive the update?
To understand which smartphones will be updated to MIUI 12.5 (some of them immediately to Android 11), just look at the MIUI 12.5 closed beta testing schedule in China:
- First batch of beta test: Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 9 SE, Mi 9, Redmi K20 Pro, Mi CC9e, Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 7 Pro, Redmi K30 Pro / POCO F2 Pro, Redmi K30 5G, Mi 10 Youth Edition, Redmi K30 4G / POCO X2, Mi Note 10 / Mi CC9 Pro, Redmi K20 / Mi 9T, Mi 10T / Redmi K30S Ultra, Mi 10 Ultra, Redmi K30 Ultra, Redmi 10X 5G, Redmi 10X Pro, Redmi Note 9 5G/9T, Redmi K30i 5G.
- Second batch of beta test: Mi 9 Pro 5G, Mi 9 Lite / Mi CC9, Mi CC9 Meitu Edition, Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G / Mi 10i / Mi 10T Lite, Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 8, Redmi Note 9 4G / Redmi 9T / Redmi 9 Power.
Smartphones Mi 9, Mi 9 SE, Redmi K20 Pro / Mi 9T Pro, Redmi Note 9 5G, Mi 10T / Redmi K30S Ultra received MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11!
The list above is official, but the note on it says that plans to release the shell for other models will be announced in the future. Stay tuned to this material as the list of Xiaomi smartphones supporting MIUI 12.5 changes periodically.
So, Xiaomi may cancel the release of previously promised updates for some models, as happened with MIUI 12 for Redmi 6, 6A, 7 and Y3. Or include other smartphones in the list, for example, Mi 11 or earlier models that were not included in the beta test.
The rollout of the final version of MIUI 12.5 began with Mi 11, Mi 10T, Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro in the second quarter of 2022. The Redmi Note 9 series is also in the queue for an early update to MIUI 12.5.
But perhaps the most interesting addition is the Redmi Note 8 and Note 8 Pro: as part of the MIUI 12.5 update, the duo will be updated to Android 11. Xiaomi usually only releases one OS update to Redmi devices, but the update to Android 11 will be the second for the Note series 8.
After the premium Mi 10 and Mi 11 receive MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi will work on Mi 10 Lite, Mi 10T Lite, Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Lite.
The above list is not complete. Xiaomi will later add more devices to the MIUI 12.5 release schedule.
By analogy with how we do this with MIUI 12, we maintain a table of official MIUI 12.5 firmware. This is not a release schedule, but a great opportunity to find out what stage the development of the operating system for your phone is at.
Improved light cone motion effects architecture
MIUI 12 introduced the light cone motion effects architecture for the first time - a system consisting of an animation engine, a rendering engine and an illustration engine. The new MIUI 12.5 has undergone a comprehensive update based on this architecture. The system creates a special flow for gestures, sets priorities for gesture operations and responds to them with lightning speed.
In addition, the light cone effects architecture increased processing power, increased rendering power by 20 times, and optimized effect classification, resulting in smoother performance for smartphones with different hardware.
MIUI 12.5 takes system aesthetics to the next level. There were some comparisons with iOS. According to the executive, the dynamic effects of MIUI 12.5 are difficult to compare with those made by Apple - of course, the Beijing brand is better.
What's new in MIUI 12.5
There are plenty of innovations: from icon animations to a completely new volume control menu. But the main thing is that the operating system has become much faster and more stable. She was taught to use smartphone resources sparingly. However, all innovations should be considered in more detail.
As an example, we will use MIUI 12.5 installed on the Redmi 8 smartphone. Even this budget phone received an update.
MIUI 12.5 comes with a lot of great features like much improved privacy and new super wallpapers. But perhaps one of the best new features is the reduced number of pre-installed system apps.
Here's what's new in MIUI 12.5:
System
- Instant response to gestures.
- Any phone becomes faster after an update.
- MIUI has become lighter, faster and more stable.
- Now you can manage multiple SIM cards.
- Device Control Center has been updated.
- Local search results are sorted automatically.
Haptic feedback
Xiaomi has added a new haptic feedback feature to MIUI 12.5 that adds realism when touching the screen. This feature can be seen starting with beta version 21.1.26.
As you can see from the screenshots, Natural Touch can be turned off completely or the level of tactile feedback can be adjusted.
So far, haptic feedback is only supported on a few devices: Mi 9 Pro 5G, Redmi K30S Ultra (Mi 10T/Pro), Mi 10 Ultra, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10 and the new Mi 11.
It is likely that not all mid-range smartphones will get this feature as it depends on the hardware. We will wait for the end of the beta test and information from Xiaomi, because the final list cannot consist of only 6 supported devices.
New animations
The new MIUI Light Cone animation architecture plays a key role in reducing overall memory usage and power consumption. Not only does it make movements more realistic and effects smoother, but it also provides a Turbo gesture function. Thanks to the latter, animations when using gestures work smoothly and quickly, without causing delays.
In MIUI 12.5, the developers have added new animations for changing screens, removing icons and moving them. Now, when you move an application icon, it becomes “jelly-like”, that is, the outline of the icon shakes when your finger releases the icon. When you uninstall an application, the icon simply explodes with a beautiful animation effect.
The developers also significantly worked on the animation of changing screens, opening menus, and moving through items. Now all these actions are completed faster. But the smoothness of the animation has not gone away. This optimization makes the user think that the device is actually running much faster.
The charging animation has changed slightly. Now, when you connect the charger, the phone shows the full battery charge as a percentage, accurate to the tenth (for example, 35.08%). Now the user knows exactly how much time the smartphone has left to fully charge. The animation of collapsing and expanding menus and windows has also been slightly improved.
Animations like hourglass countdown will only be supported on Mi 11, Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro and Redmi K30 Pro/POCO F2 Pro. Additionally, the water loading animation will require devices running Android 10 along with Snapdragon 855 or later processors.
Updated control center
We are talking about the very curtain on which the buttons for quickly turning on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mobile Internet and other settings are located. In version 12 of MIUI, there was no way to customize the curtain. Now, at least one tile can show traffic spent, the number of steps taken, or screen time.
Previously, a special widget in the feed was responsible for counting steps, but now the widget feed has been eliminated (although it can still be installed as a separate application), the Health program has been added and linked to tiles in the control center. This step is intended to somehow organize the workspace and reduce the load on RAM (the widget ribbon required a lot of memory).
Also, more buttons have appeared in the control curtain: now there are more than a dozen of them, while in MIUI 12 there were only 5-6 of them. This suggests that Xiaomi will soon abandon the classic center (combined with the notification shade) completely. But for now, the classic center can still be activated in the settings.
Improved font and icon customization
Previously, MIUI's ability to customize fonts was extremely limited: users were only allowed to change the text size (and then within strictly limited limits). Version 12.5 allows you to change not only the font size, but also its style (boldness level). This functionality has become necessary for high-resolution screens, but has only appeared now.
You can also now change the font itself directly from your phone settings: you don’t have to go into the “Themes” application, download the font manually, and so on. It is worth noting that there are still very few Cyrillic fonts; Latin ones predominate. But perhaps this glaring misunderstanding will soon disappear.
New products from Xiaomi
:
- Redmi K50 Gaming
February 18, 2022 - Redmi Note 11S
January 26, 2022
- Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
January 26, 2022
- Xiaomi 11i
January 7, 2022
The icon customization process has also changed somewhat. That is, the change in size and so on remained in place. But an extremely useful option has migrated from POCO Launcher, allowing you to download icon packs and change the standard icons with them. Previously, this did not exist in MIUI. That is, now the user does not need to install the entire theme for the sake of icons.
New personalization menu
In MIUI 12, clicking on the “Personalization” item in the settings immediately transferred the user to the “Themes” application. But now everything has changed: the personalization menu consists of tiles with the lock screen, desktop, icon pack, selected font, and more. From the same menu you can change the ringtone, notification and alarm sounds.
At the very bottom of the menu there is an item to open the “Themes” application. This is where you can find new design themes, wallpapers, etc. By the way, you can also customize widgets from the personalization item. This is a serious innovation; this has never happened before in MIUI. The updated personalization menu will definitely interest users.
System sounds
Added many new system sounds based on natural sounds. According to Xiaomi, the MIUI 12.5 update received the most natural notification sound, created in collaboration with global sound engineers.
There are four main sound recording regions for the system:
- Tropical forests of South America.
- Australia.
- Grasslands of East Africa.
- Arctic.
A tropical forest
Savannah
Australia
Arctic
Over 120 natural animal sounds are also part of this update, along with new system sound effects derived from natural sounds. All these sounds can be heard in the video review below.
The MIUI volume control has not been updated for a long time. In version 12.5, it acquired a more elegant appearance and received beautiful animation. There are no new functions in it. It can be seen in the Rainforest sound image above.
Nature mix has also been added - an exciting new way to create your own notification sound system.
Super wallpaper
The system includes new super wallpaper Mount Siguniang - this is Mount Siguniang, the highest in the Qionglai Mountains of Western China. The picture moves when switching screens, but these Live wallpapers, of course, are far from the wallpaper that is used on flagships. Apparently, Redmi 8 is not such a powerful device to install cool cinematics on it.
The updated set of super wallpapers in the MIUI 12.5 update will help increase the battery life of your smartphone, as it consumes 40% less energy.
The new MIUI super wallpapers will not be supported by all devices, as they are demanding on the smartphone processor. To clarify the situation, Xiaomi has published a list of supported devices:
- Xiaomi Mi 11.
- Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10, Mi 10 Youth Edition.
- Redmi K30 Ultra, Redmi K30 Pro / Poco F2 Pro.
- Xiaomi Mi 9, Mi 9 Pro 5G, Redmi K20 Pro / Mi 9T Pro.
- Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 8 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
- Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 (in March 2022, information appeared that MIX 3 may never receive MIUI 12.5 and Android 11).
- Redmi 10X / Redmi Note 9, Redmi 10X 5G, Redmi 10X Pro.
Owners of other phones are left with static super wallpapers that include an image of the snowy Mount Siguniang peak.
There is a way, not necessarily from Xiaomi. Mount Sigunyan is not there yet, the developers will probably add it a little later.
Floating windows for instant messengers
This opium appeared in MIUI 12, but only in 12.5 it was brought to fruition. Now floating windows are much easier to work with, and they are supported by many more instant messengers. Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, Slack, Skype, Discord and some other messengers have stepped up.
It is worth noting that this function is implemented not only for instant messengers. In principle, a floating window can be activated for almost any application. This thing is relevant for smartphones with large screens. It allows you to organize your workspace more productively.
Improved performance
The developers have done a lot of work to optimize their operating system. Now it works several times faster even on budget devices. The amount of RAM consumed for 12.5 has been significantly reduced. So now all phones that have received the corresponding update work as quickly as possible.
Most likely, the developers did a good job on the operating system kernel, which led to increased performance. Thanks to the redesigned application policies, it was possible to force the OS to block applications from running in the background, which had a positive effect on RAM consumption.
Confidentiality
Privacy has also been greatly improved. Just look at the new opportunities to protect the personal data of the owner of a Xiaomi smartphone:
- Now you can see which applications have access to the clipboard and control access.
- Using approximate location improves privacy protection.
- You can manage sensitive permissions and associated application behavior.
- The behavior of web pages is monitored, which helps block unwanted and malicious activities.
- Now it's up to you to decide who can track your online behavior and when.
- All apps come with a safety statement from GetApps.
- Privacy Risk Scanner.
- Control which apps access your gallery items.
- Complete overview of all sensitive permissions.
- You'll be notified whenever high-risk permissions are used, and you'll be able to block those actions.
- New privacy protection page.
Notes
- Create mind maps with complex structures.
- New tools for drawing and sketching.
- Touch and hold a sketch to automatically adjust your strokes.
- Gesture Shortcut now allows you to create notes and tasks and excerpts anywhere.
- Excerpts save text, URLs, and images in your notes with a few simple taps.
- Dynamic layouts take note typography to the next level.
MIUI+
- You can combine your phone and computer into one workstation.
- You can view MIUI notifications and open phone apps on your computer.
- Applications from your phone can be transferred to your computer.
- Items copied to your phone can now be pasted onto your computer and vice versa.
- Photos and screenshots from your mobile device can be instantly used on your computer.
- Web pages can be easily transferred from one device to another.
- You can transfer files to your mobile device.
Floating windows
- Messengers now support floating windows.
- Floating windows can be quickly replaced with full-screen versions of applications.
- App cards show key information when apps are displayed as floating windows.
Xiaomi Health
The heart rate monitoring feature in the Mi Health app will not work with devices such as Redmi 6A, Mi CC9 Pro, Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition and Redmi 10X Pro.
- You can measure your heart rate using the camera.
- Start recording your running, walking and cycling workouts manually and enjoy a variety of online activities.
- Automatic workout recognition is now much more accurate.
Models supporting Xiaomi Healthy Lingxian 2.0 technology: Xiaomi 11, Xiaomi 10, Xiaomi 10 Pro, Xiaomi 10 Extreme Edition, Redmi K30 Pro, Xiaomi 9, Xiaomi 9 Pro 5G, Redmi K20 Pro, Xiaomi 10 Youth Version, Redmi K30 5G, Redmi K30i 5G, Xiaomi 9 SE, Xiaomi CC9, Xiaomi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition, Xiaomi CC9 Pro, Redmi K20, Redmi K30, Redmi Note 9 Pro.
The above feature will support devices running the latest OS update, i.e. Android 11 and above.
Improved autonomy and battery health
The developers were also able to increase the autonomy of any smartphone running MIUI 12.5. increased autonomy was made possible by changing the policy for running applications in the background. It has become much tougher and does not allow programs (even built-in ones) to heavily load the battery in the background.
Now the system can strictly block programs running in the background even without user demand. Of course, if necessary, the user can independently activate the background operation of any program. But the standard settings have become quite strict. Therefore, autonomy has increased. And of course, the kernel was slightly modified.
The menu for working with the battery has also changed significantly. The remaining charge indication has been redesigned. A more detailed graph of battery usage has also become available. There is also a list of applications that can be disabled to save energy (with just a couple of taps).
The new feature allows you to check the status of your phone's battery. There are 5 battery status options available:
- Bad
- Normal
- good
- Excellent.
Here you can see the temperature and how many times the phone was charged today.
Home screen
- Ripple animation for loading applications.
- Explosion animation for deleting applications.
- New application folder design.
- Vertical layout for application folders.
Xiaomi Cloud
- A password manager allows you to store passwords in the cloud.
- You can share your device's location with other people in a family sharing group.
- Location information can be recorded automatically before turning off the device.
- Converting images to PDF is possible.
MIUI 12.5 allows you to quickly convert any photo from a standard gallery into an electronic document format with a PDF extension.
IME
- A more convenient way to move the cursor using the scroll bar.
- Function buttons support switching between languages and keyboards.
- Press and hold function buttons to access additional functions.
- Custom keyboard themes.
Browser
- Setting wallpaper in light mode.
- Incognito mode has been redesigned.
- Now pages load much faster.
